Heartbreaker
by iloveromys
Summary: slightly AU. A series of brief glimpses into the life of the emerald-eyed X-woman known as Rogue.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello to everyone who stumbled onto this story. After a looooong hiatus from fanfic writing, I have decided to pick up the pen again. However, for now I will not continue working on "A New Road," on the grounds that if I do, I would probably have to rewrite the entire thing. I don't know if it's because I'm being overly critical or what, but I just reread it and it seems really really _bad_. Eventually, though, I will revise and rewrite it, but I'm going to try my hand at other stories and one-shots to "get back in the groove" if you will, of writing fanfiction. I would appreciate any constructive criticism of any kind, as I'm trying desperately to improve my writing. And a big thank you to all of my reviewers, old and new. You give me inspiration to write again. Thank you.

-iloveromys

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She had always been told that she'd grow up to be a heartbreaker. It was the eyes, she was told. Those bright shiny emeralds surrounded by long, thick eyelashes. Those eyes could make contact with you for a split second and quicker than anything, with a bat of the lashes, or a quick rush of tears, she would capture you forever and ever.

_Rogue smiled happily as she paraded down the sidewalk with her daddy. She was four and a half, and he had let her come along for his daily trip to the local grocery store. Her momma had made her a green linen dress for the springtime, one to match her eyes, she said, and although Rogue for the most part disliked dresses, she couldn't help but like the simple, sleeveless, green garment. It also helped that her stuffed bear had a matching one, courtesy of some leftover fabric. So in her pretty green dress, for all the town to see, she skipped proudly by her daddy's side. _

"_Good morning," greeted the sales clerk to her father, before he rung up the newspaper and carton of milk. Her father mumbled a hasty response as he fumbled with his wallet. _

"_Good Morning," chirped Rogue in response. The cashier peered over the counter at the white-banged, pigtailed child who was tugging at her father's pant leg, begging to be picked up. With a groan, he complied, and Rogue was brought to eye level with the cashier. _

"_Why, hello there, little lady!"_

_Rogue, suddenly shy, hid her face in her father's chest. The cashier, Joe, chuckled to himself. _

"_Ah guess she's going through the shy phase right about now. Well let's see…" He rummaged through the candy jar next to the cash register and pulled out a lollipop. At her father's assent, he cajoled, "How about Ah get a chance to thank the little girl who greeted me so politely this morning? Ah know you're shy, but Ah just wanted to thank you for making my day and being so kind as to coming into mah humble institution here." Rogue peeked an eye at the man behind the counter, not understanding his words. Joe smiled. _

"_And what pretty eyes you have! Here, you get a watermelon lollipop to match the green." Rogue's ears perked up at the treat. She reached out, but then looked up at her daddy to make sure that it was okay. He nodded, and with a chubby hand, she took the candy from the man. _

"_Say 'Thank you' to Joe," her dad prodded, as she unwrapped the lollipop. In her tiny child voice, she cried, "Thank you Joe!" As he handed back his change, Joe looked to her father. _

"_Take care of her," he warned half-jokingly. "She's bound to be a heartbreaker, with those pretty green eyes." _

"_Thanks, Ah will," her daddy responded as he turned to exit the store. "See you tomorrow, Joe." _

"_All right now." _

_Rogue smiled happily as she held the green lollipop in her hand. Her childhood innocence prevented her from taking Joe's words too seriously, so she was blissfully unaware of what life had in store for her. Undoubtedly she would have plenty of love and heartbreak in store. But for now, what was most important was the feeling of a new dress, a free lollipop, and the time spent with the number one man in her life, her daddy._

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A/N: I hope you liked this little ficlet. I know that there aren't many fics with a young Rogue, especially any happy ones. So I decided to come up with this one. Hopefully I captured the innocence of a toddler. For now this is a one-shot, but I might add more, perhaps from different times in her life as she ages and faces/initiates heartbreak. What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello to everyone who stumbled onto this story. I decided to continue with it, rather than keep it as a one shot. Enjoy.

Thank you to all those who have stopped by to read it, and thanks to **bologna121 **for reviewing. I love your name.

-iloveromys

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Rogue was fourteen years old, and still far too innocent for someone who had experienced as much as she did. Her Mama died when she was seven and her father, grieving and spiraling down into a world of drinking and gambling, was not much of a present figure in her life.

She sighed. But now, at seventeen, she couldn't blame him for not being there for her.

* * *

_ She understood that the pain he felt was too much to bear. That it hurt too much for him to lose the love of his life and see her spitting image staring back at him with the same concerned expression on her face. It was enough to drive him to drink. Or worse, to shock him into sobriety. _

_When his daughter looked to him, it shook him to the very core, overriding any chemical effect that the alcohol had taken in his system. And as soon as his defenses were down, he was reminded of the tragedy that had taken place a few years before. Oh God, he missed her..._

_So he just left. Sometimes for the night. Sometimes for a week. And she learned to take care of herself. Slowly but surely, she began to lose her innocence about the world and gain some unwanted independence. And she was scared. _

_It all started when the bills came. And then the car was repossessed. And the dog died. And he wasn't there to help her with any of that. _

_So she pushed herself to do well in school, partly to make him proud, to show him that it was possible to adjust and move on. She took honors and AP courses, and was involved. She played sports and even found time to volunteer at the local homeless shelter. Imagine her embarrassment to discover her father stumble in, too ashamed to show his face at home. Imagine his embarrassment at getting caught by his daughter._

_So the winter of her junior year, she got a job and started helping with the bills. Slowly but surely, the house began to improve. Her father even started coming around more and sobering up. And for a while things were better. She even found herself a boyfriend in the boy-next-door, Cody Robbins. _

_With him, she could be free and laugh. The harsh reality of her environment just faded away, and rather than worry about the bills, or whether or not her father would relapse, she could focus on being a girl again. And Cody was just what she needed. _

_He was reliable and caring, often coming by with some of his Mama's cornbread just to make sure that she had a special treat once in a while. He studied with her for her finals, even making up flash cards for chemistry. He cheered her on at her games, and did whatever he could to make her smile. He loved her._

_And she loved him. She loved his warm smile and how he used to serenade her under the stars while she swept the front porch. She loved that Cody always treated her and her father with respect, despite his now tarnished reputation. And she knew, despite her youth, that this was the man that she would share the rest of her life with. _

_And then came spring recess. As they sat under their tree, her head on his shoulder, hands intertwined, lazily watching the fireflies dance, he began to speak of the future. Of expectations, and happiness, and love. And he presented her with his class ring on a thin gold chain. _

_"For you," he said, well aware of the significance of this gesture. "So you don't forget about me while Ah'm visiting mah aunt in during the break." And with the upmost gentleness, he lifted up her hair and clasped the chain around her neck. _

_She looked up at him, a twinkle in her emerald eyes and a radiant smile on her face. _

_"Of course Ah wouldn't forget you, Sugah. Ah'll be waiting right by our tree." _

_And they kissed underneath the moonlight. _

* * *

And just like that, he was gone. And because of her, no less. Due to some stupid mutation. She choked back a sob, not wanting her new foster parents, Raven and Irene to hear her. But they seemed to sense when it became too much for her to handle.

Irene was always there, with a mug of tea, to listen. And Raven, when she was home, would provide words of encouragement and hope that one day her powers would be manageable.

And it was times like these that she was reminded of her one great memory with her father. Before the drinking, before Cody, before everything. She remembered old Joe, and his prophecy. But little did she know that the heart that she'd break would be her own.

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A/N: Wow, guys. This is pretty angsty for me. Please let me know what you think. I was hoping it would be a good tie-in from the first chapter. Good night. -iloveromys


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